Discover how McNeil’s brilliance led Everton to a crucial 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace. Explore match highlights and player performances on our website.
Introduction:
Everton picked their first three points of Premier League this season through a hard work victory at home from Crystal Palace at Goodison Park. After Guehi, Marc of Palace scored an early goal, Dwight McNeil toiled to give Everton a much-needed win as they overturned the lead to position them above the relegation zone and up to 15th place.
First Half: Palace Bright Start
They ran the game in the most confident way, taking a game that was, unquestionably, a very bad season for Everton. It took ten minutes for the first goal, on the end of a well-worked corner routine. Lacroix beat his marker to powerfully nod down Adam Wharton’s cross for Marc Guehi.
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Everton were then made to feel the early pressure, and Palace continued their threat with set pieces. Another effective corner routine could have doubled the lead for Palace, had it not been for Iliman Ndiaye blocking Daniel Munoz’s shot in time.
Everton had very little of note for themselves in the first half, managing a few half-meaningful chances. Dominic Calvert-Lewin perhaps had the best opportunity, but he failed to connect with McNeil’s cross – a frustrating half for Sean Dyche’s men.
The second half: McNeil Inspires Everton’s Turnaround
Dwight McNeil just changed the match gears by carving out space from nothingness from outside the box, within two minutes of the second half. The shot that curled inside the far side of the left corner left the Palace goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, a mere spectator to help Everton get back on the scene of action with some much-needed momentum at Goodison Park.
Seven minutes on, McNeil netted again. Jack Harrison floated in a precise right-sided cross, and McNeil pounced on it at the far post. The midfielder controlled his touch calmly before unleashing a tight-angle volley from the angle that brought the ball into the net. That double in quick succession of that sort puts the game on its head, as Everton led for the first time.
Abdoulaye Doucoure might have well and truly sealed the game with ten minutes to go, but Lacroix threw a last-gasp challenge that denied him from making it sooner. Anyways, Everton dug deep in defense for their first Premier League victory of the season.
Everton’s Resilience and McNeil’s Brilliance
It says much for the response of the Everton side that their second half, so much the better of the two periods, quite overshadowed the first, in which they were outplayed by virtually all the visitors. They were clearly helped over this by McNeil, who scored two goals, the first as good as a moment of individual brilliance – a shot from a distance which Henderson could never have got to, and the second a beautifully controlled volley, reflective of his control and technique.
Everton needed just this cure after Everton had dropped points from a leading position in their last three matches. But this victory may give a turning point to Sean Dyche as they move out of relegation zones.
Palace Second-Half Defensive Struggles
Palace’s defense, robust throughout the first half, had such a collapse after the interval. Guehi and Lacroix proved a solid partnership in giving Palace the lead; their aerial dominance kept Everton at bay for most of the first half, but their inability to shut down McNeil and stop him finding space outside the box told bitterly.
Conclusion: Everton Was a Vital Victory
A victory over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park finally provided Everton with a much-needed win and piled pressure on the team to improve following a landslide victory, sending them out of the bottom of the relegation zone. Two goals by McNeil started with an impressive second half of the match perhaps now starting the road to taking up the Premier League positions. For Palace, lapses on defence together with inability to maintain their first-half form will mark the downfall of their chances at respectable league standings.